Chapter 189: The Birth of the Colossus
The colossal infected had taken on the shape of a gigantic human figure, its enormous body formed from layers upon layers of flesh, bone, and dark, pulsing tissue. Its surface constantly shifted as countless infected remained embedded within it, their limbs and faces half-submerged in the mass as if they had been forcibly stitched together.
All around the giant, the infected that had not been absorbed suddenly stopped moving.
One by one, their heads slowly tilted upward. Their bodies began to tremble violently as their eyes turned completely white, as if something had taken control of them.
"They’re doing it again," a soldier muttered, his voice filled with unease.
The commander stared at the colossal figure and immediately raised his radio. "All units, prepare to fi..."
His voice suddenly stopped as the giant slowly raised its head.
Then its enormous mouth opened.
"AHHH... GRRAAA... HELP... KILL... AAAAAH!"
Thousands of voices erupted from it at once, the screams of the infected buried within its body blending together into one monstrous roar. Some voices were deep and guttural, while others were high-pitched and distorted, all of them overlapping until the sound became something inhuman.
The entire safe zone shook as if an earthquake had struck.
"AGHH!" Soldiers dropped their weapons and staggered backward, desperately covering their ears. Some collapsed onto their knees as the sound seemed to tear straight through their skulls.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
Windows shattered across the surrounding buildings, sending glass raining onto the streets. Cracks spread across several weakened structures, while even the armored vehicles trembled beneath the sheer force of the roar.
Inside the residential areas, civilians screamed in panic. Some dropped to the floor while others desperately covered their children’s ears, unable to understand what was happening.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Make it stop!"
"Get down!"
The roar continued to echo through the streets, passing through walls and buildings until the entire safe zone seemed to be filled with its terrifying voice.
On the streets, Jaxon gritted his teeth and pressed both hands against his ears. His vision shook from the sheer force of the sound, but even through the pain, his eyes remained fixed on the colossal infected.
Behind him, Natasha and the others were in an even worse state. They had all dropped to their knees, desperately trying to block out the deafening roar.
Seconds passed, and slowly, the monstrous voices began to fade.
The countless screams separated into distant echoes before finally disappearing into the night.
For several seconds, the entire battlefield fell strangely silent.
Inside the residential area, people cautiously peeked out from their homes, looking around in confusion. Others were still breathing heavily, their faces pale from what they had just experienced.
Then someone looked toward the western sector. "Look..."
One by one, heads turned in the same direction. And then they saw it.
The colossal infected towered over the battlefield, its enormous body rising far above the surrounding buildings. Its silhouette could be seen from almost every corner of the safe zone, standing like a grotesque giant against the darkness.
Meanwhile, the soldiers on the battlefield had barely recovered from the monster’s roar when Commander Stephen’s voice suddenly came through the radio. "Everyone, focus fire on that thing! Don’t hold anything back!"
The order spread through the defensive lines immediately.
"Fire!" The mounted Gatling guns spun up first, unleashing streams of bullets into the colossal infected. Rocket launchers followed, sending explosive rounds into its massive body, while snipers and riflemen fired from every available position.
TATATATATATA! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions tore across the giant’s body one after another. Chunks of flesh were blown away, exposing the dark tissue underneath, but the wounds didn’t stay open for long. The exposed flesh writhed and slowly pulled itself back together as the stench of burning flesh filled the air. "Keep firing!" "Don’t stop!"
Another volley of rockets slammed into its chest.
BOOOOM! The explosion engulfed the giant’s upper body in smoke, and for several seconds, the soldiers could see nothing through the thick cloud.
Then the radio crackled. "Hold fire!"
The gunfire gradually died down as smoke drifted across the battlefield.
Silence followed afterward. Then the ground began to tremble.
THUD! Every soldier froze as another tremor shook the streets, stronger than the first.
THUD! THUD! "It’s still standing..." someone whispered.
When the smoke suddenly shifted, a gigantic silhouette emerged from within it.
A massive silhouette slowly emerged from the haze. Much of the flesh that had been blown away was already regenerating, the damaged tissue stitching itself back together before their eyes. Dark veins pulsed across its enormous body while countless embedded limbs twitched beneath its skin.
Commander Stephen’s expression changed.
"Keep firing!"
Every weapon opened fire again. But this time, the monster moved.
Its enormous leg lifted from the ground.
"Wait, what’s it..."
BOOOOM! The massive foot came crashing down.
The armored vehicles at the front of the defensive line were crushed beneath it. Metal twisted and screamed as several vehicles were flattened instantly, while soldiers nearby were thrown across the street by the impact.
"Fall back!"
"Get away from it!"
"Retreat! Retreat!" The command spread through the battlefield.
At the same time, the infected surrounding the colossal creature began moving again. Thousands had already been absorbed into the giant, but countless others still remained scattered throughout the streets.
Now, they surged forward once more.
Then the holes across the battlefield erupted.
CRACK! BOOM! Grasshopper Infected burst from the ground and immediately launched themselves toward the retreating soldiers. Crawlers followed from rooftops and shattered buildings, forcing the soldiers to fight while falling back.
"Watch the rooftops!"
"Grasshoppers incoming!"
"Keep moving! Don’t let them surround you!"
Reynold fired his Dual Cable Launcher toward a nearby building and was pulled through the air, narrowly escaping a group of infected. The moment he landed, he grabbed his radio.
"All Special Units, fall back!"
Stephen’s voice followed almost immediately. "All units, retreat toward the residential sector! Abandon the forward positions and regroup at the last defensive line!"
Another commander picked up the order and shouted to the soldiers around him. "Move! Move! Don’t stop to fight them! Fall back!"
The soldiers began retreating in organized groups, covering one another as they abandoned the streets they had fought so desperately to hold.
Behind them, the colossal infected took another step forward as the entire safe zone trembled.